Troubling Thoughts
by Lara1221
Summary: George, who can't shake the feeling that he's doing something wrong, and Percy, who might have to learn a thing or two about empathy, and early mornings. / Second place!


**Disclaimer:** I don't own anyone/anything you recognize. WB owns the cover.

 **A/N:** I've written these guys centric before, but wanted to do it again. I hope everyone likes it :) **Written for:**

 **QLFC rnd 11: wasps' beater 2:** the lines from the ABBA song, extra prompts: 6. blink, 8. determined **; ultimate battle comp:** Fingerprints by Katy Perry **; percyweasley comp ii:** Percy/George family relationship **; open cat 4:** family **; acrostics comp: t:** the burrow **; all era endurance:** character sketch **; greek myth comp: minos:** fred and/or george **; second theme comp:** hazards of passing judgement, George Weasley **; hogwarts comp: yr 5:** transfiguration (hurt/comfort); charms (levitation, summoning, mending); arithmancy (3 scenes); prompts - words: might, and, job / mood: critical, hostile / emotion: appreciation / dotw: friday / item: shrub / action: get yelled at / adjective: old, pleasant / dialogue: "I will be nothing like you!", "congratulations!", "I don't think so!" / uwl: 2497 / lwl: 1000 / word count: 1500

* * *

 _If you need me let me know, gonna be around  
If you've got not place to go, if you're feeling down_

Take a Chance on Me, ABBA

* * *

Troubling Thoughts

There was a blink as Percy Weasley adjusted his eyes to the darkness of the room on the last Friday before term, pulling on his glasses after he stretched with a loud yawn, one quite unreflective of the incredibly well-mannered Percy of the daytime.

His eyes were adjusting to the dark and his glasses when he noticed someone lay down out in the garden. Percy determined, with a bit of scrutinizing, that it was George, a rare sight due to the time of day and the lack of Fred, his twin brother.

Fred and George were two years younger than Percy and the three of them had always butted heads. When they were younger they had all gotten along just fine, but when they reached Hogwarts, Percy began noticing his brothers tended to be occasional twats. They had no respect for their professors and often played pranks at the expense of other students, or Percy himself. These pranks, ultimately, were absolutely useless, and even if it was a bit of laugh, Percy had learned it was never worth the cleanup.

He used to fight back a little. The twins were grand gestures of embarrassment and excitement; but Percy would slyly get them back. It became a war between them. But he's at Hogwarts now, and prefect to boot; he can't go around playing childish games forever.

Percy didn't think the pranks were completely stupid. They were clever and challenging and funny, loath to admit it as he was.

But they rarely put effort into their classes, can't go a week without detention, and test on the younger students. And they never, ever realize when enough is enough. Didn't they care at all about their futures?

Nevertheless, Percy made a split second decision to go see his brother to find out if something was troubling him. George was clearly off about something, and if Fred couldn't help then Percy would.

* * *

George Weasley tried to block out the noise around him and be completely relaxed. Day hadn't broken yet, but the sky was cloudless, and the air pleasantly warm. He tried to ignore the swooping feelings in his stomach and told himself to calm down. As an afterthought, he was summoning leaves from a few feet away under the tree, levitating them in front of him and watching them be crushed and then mended with two flicks of his wand. Underage magic was a risk, but one he was sure he would simply get off with a warning for, if that.

He wasn't particularly angry or frustrated. Instead, there were just way too many crazy thoughts swirling around in his head, things like Ron's first year, Ginny all alone, Charlie far away, Bill the Example, life after Hogwarts, and Perfect Percy. He was just thinking, a lot more than usual, about things he usually didn't care about.

But he couldn't stop himself: he was going back to Hogwarts for another year. He and Fred had some major prank planning to do, but more than that, too. McGonagall had to talk to them about their grades last term about being too low, possibly compromising their Quidditch positions. They relied on the information they knew and rarely did assingnments, ignoring things that didn't come easily to them. Mum was disappointed. And then Percy was appointed Prefect this year. That's three older brothers in a row.

He hated how Percy tried so hard in school, and then looked down on Fred and George when they tried hard in other things, things that were far more fun and lead them to be far less miserable and uptight than Percy, who would walk around all day in preparation for what had to be done next. His meals were spent making lists and his hallway travels snapping at the younger students for dillydallying, Fred and George frequently among them.

George didn't care about any of those things. As bad as it sounded, he really only wanted to do well for Mum, and so that he could keep playing Quidditch. Fred was the same. They had always talked about it – the great things they were going to do after Hogwarts while living the best they could in it. Why slave away all day over a textbook when you could be hanging out with your friends you might not get the chance later? And they certainly didn't want to pursue some sort of Ministry career, so why waste time preparing for one? They had a skill, a real talent.

But they would have to get through Hogwarts if they were going to use it.

George was drawn from his thoughts by the arrival of someone he certainly had not wanted to see at this time of morning.

"George?"

* * *

"Mornin, Perce!" George threw his brother a fake smile, one that would easily fool anyone else.

Percy knew better. "What are you doing? You hardly get up before eleven."

George groaned internally at the condescension. "You hardly seek me out to interrogate me…oh wait."

Percy resisted rolling his eyes. Something about George felt very wrong. "Are you going mental?"

George felt unexplainably angry. "Why do you care?!" he yelled, louder than intended. "It's none of your business, anyway."

Typical, thought Percy. The one time he actually wants to talk to one of the brothers that drive him up the wall, they don't want to speak to him. "Why are you so angry? You're never like this."

"Like you would know."

"Of course I know, I'm your brother! You're George Weasley. You like to have fun and pull pranks, mostly at my expense. You love Quidditch. You're always cheerful unless you're coming out of a dreadful teacher's subject, and you can make anyone laugh. So why are you angry?"

George felt his mouth fall open subconsciously, processing slowly what he had just heard.

Percy felt the need to defend himself once again, despite the fact that George had yet to say anything. He stood up taller and crossed his arms. "Don't play dumb, or be stubborn. There's no reason to hate anything I'm saying. I'm asking you if you're okay. There's nothing wrong there."

Getting irritated at the dry feeling in his mouth, he closed it and swallowed, trying to think quickly. He couldn't tell Percy that the reason he was upset was because he couldn't live up to his brothers when Percy was one of them.

As George stayed silent, Percy felt another impulse coming onto him, and let the words out before he could stop them.

"Why can't you care a little more, about anything, hm? I'm just standing here, looking like an idiot trying to figure out what's wrong with you, and you're more concerned with bludgers and boggarts and boxing telescopes. Bill would be preparing for school, Charlie would be thinking about how to manage Quidditch and school, and —"

"And you?" George demanded suddenly, raising his voice. "What would you be doing? Enjoying vacation before you have to go back to books and assignments? I don't think so! Reprimanding your brothers for being pranksters, for having a little fun. Good to know," he ended sarcastically. "I will be nothing like you! I don't care about what happens after the Hogwarts, I don't care about grades and things; we don't have to be like you to be perfect, Perce. Congratulations on your prefect appointment, accept you won't stop rubbing it in everyone's face. Two others have got that already. Fred and I want to be remembered, we want to do something amazing. Leave our mark, not become another in the Ministry. Is that such a shock?"

George finished, breathing heavy. Percy stared, unable to speak, knowing that nearly everything his brother had just stated was true. Percy did, very frequently, point out his little brothers in the hall and tell them to get to work; he must make them embarrassed in the halls all the time. He also doesn't care about doing something wizarding world changing; all he wants to do in his job is enforce the law. But George was wrong one account; Percy did care.

Percy was about to speak, to apologize and comfort and everything, when George beat him to it. "I'm sorry."

"Why?"

"It's not true. I know you don't do it to be mean."

"There's nothing wrong with having a little fun."

"There's nothing wrong with working hard at school."

"I'm sorry I pick on you in front of your friends. Bill did it to me, it was horrid."

"I'm sorry I tell you off for getting good grades."

"I'm sorry I tell you off for having fun."

"You know I'm always here, to talk?"

"Yeah, me too."

A look passed between them, as George gave a soft smile and Percy gave one back. There was an understanding there, and Percy reached a hand down to help his brother up.

"That's just who you are, Percy, it just bothers me a little."

Percy let out a light laugh. "You bother me a little, too."


End file.
